Venice Diary #6 - Banshees of Inisherin, Don't Worry Darling, and Tilda Swinton (twice)

by Elisa Giudici

Are Hollywood stars saving Venice as we enter the home stretch? The answer is yes, but not always willingly. Traditionally the back half of the Venice Film Festival is less glamorous, less exciting, and sometimes even a little dull. Toronto starts, a good portion of the international press leaves, and the most hideous filler of the competition fills the daily program. Not this year, though! Suddenly there's a movie that's even better than The Whale, so don’t worry darlings, today we have some real treats and gallons of drama...

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Venice at Home – Day 6: (A)Moral Tales

by Cláudio Alves

Good news for Martin McDonagh fans - The Banshees of Inisherin is getting great reviews, marking a potential return to form after Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri proved to be a polarizing picture, regardless of its awards success. The new film reunites the Irish director with two of his favorite thespians, Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell. With another hit on his resume, the latter is having a marvelous year. Maybe that will materialize in Oscar buzz, or maybe not.

In contrast, Koji Fukada and his cast need not worry about such matters. The Japanese auteur rarely registers with voters beyond the festival circuit. Nevertheless, fans should be excited about Love Life, a family drama centering on a returning patriarch who brings with him much pain and guilt. Such aching themes are a constant in Martin McDonagh's cinema, too, featuring prominently in the first collaboration between the director, Farrell, and Gleeson. So let's remember that brilliant black comedy and one of Fukada's offbeat oddities… 

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Yes, No, Maybe So? "The Banshees of Inisherin"

by Nathaniel R

You can tell that it's August since more and more 'prestige' projects are revealing themselves and the fall film season is looking mighty tasty. Today the first poster and trailer to Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin. We don't know how Martin McDonagh keeps getting away with memorable film titles when Hollywood loves nothing more than to rename projects something utterly generic the title alone works wonders. What does it mean exactly in this context? It's so evocative and Irish, too. This is McDonagh's first film since his mainstream breakthrough with Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) though he was of course already an Oscar winner before that film via his short film Six Shooter (2004). Curiously he has yet to win a Tony despite five of his projects being nominated for Best Play (The Beauty Queen of Lenane, The Lonesome West, TThe Lieutenant of Inishmore, Hangmen, and our favourite of his work The Pillowman).

After the jump the poster and trailer...

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2022's hottest DILFs (Dads I'd Like to Film)

by Cláudio Alves

We've all heard about the gore, the historical accuracy, and Nicole Kidman's latest feat of monstrous mothering. However, one element of Robert Eggers's The Northman has been curiously – criminally? – left out of the promotional material and effusive word-of-mouth. The picture's leading man may make Prince Amleth into a mountain of muscle, but there's more eye candy to enjoy beyond the Skarsgård beefcake. In a scene of ritual sacrifice and funeral tradition, Claes Bang gets to showcase his assets, and they are glorious. Indeed, though the movie skews dark and gloomy, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke highlights the actor's bare back with golden flames, resulting in one of The Northman's most indelible shots.

Forgive the silliness and crass words, but in a time of sexless cinema, it's worth celebrating what little sensuality still graces the screen. Moreover, Bang's surprisingly soulful King Fjölnir is a reminder that we might be living through another great year for hot movie dads...

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April Foolish Pt 5 - Who will be our new 'Best Actor'?

by Nathaniel R

Hmmmm. Could Hugh Jackman pick up another Tony and the Oscar in the next 10 months?

Which actor will pull an Andrew Garfield this year and get the internet excited about his work with renewed passion? Which actor will pull a Benedict Cumberbatch and become the year's critical darling only to lose the statue? Which actor will pull a Will Smith and be the slam dunk winner due to a well liked performance and his entire career beforehand? We can't possibly know yet but we can speculate about it. So let's do that.

Internet Passions? My crystal ball says either Austin Butler (Elvis), Colin Farrell (Banshees of Inisherin), or Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

Critical Darling? Hmmm. Adam Driver (White Noise), Viggo Mortensen (Crimes of the Future), or Colman Domingo (Rustin)

"It's Time" Career Win Possibilities? Hugh Jackman (The Son), Colin Farrell or Brendan Gleeson (Banshees of Inisherin), Adam Driver (White Noise)

OKAY DRUMROLL PLEASE... AND THE PREDICTIVE 5 ARE... 

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